There a Woof! Trivia Quiz

Answer: Odysseus

According to Greek legend, Odysseus is a king of Ithaca who participates on the Greek side of the Trojan War. He is known for his cleverness, and Homer describes him as the one who came up with the idea of the Trojan Horse which leads to the Greek victory after ten long years of war. Unfortunately, the trip home encounters a number of delays, and it takes Odysseus a further ten years to return to his kingdom, arriving in time to reassert control and kill the importunate suitors whom Penelope has skillfully kept waiting to claim her hand during his extended absence.

Argos was a young and powerful dog when Odysseus went to war; he is old and tired, neglected by the household, when Odysseus returns to reclaim his throne, but he recognizes his disguised master, welcomes him, then dies. It's probably just as well that he doesn't have a chance to give Odysseus away by showing too much joy at the sight of a wandering beggar!

Answer: Timmy

Julian, Dick and Anne are siblings who visit their friend Georgina (better known as George) and her mixed-breed dog Timmy during their school holidays, always leading to plenty of adventure. The first of the 21 books in the series, "Five on a Treasure Island", was published in 1942, and the last, "Five Are Together Again", in 1962. The stories ostensibly span a period of about five years - they have a lot of school holidays, and never a dull moment!

Timmy, also called Timothy and Tim, is a major player in the series. In the first book, for example, Timmy falls down a well while chasing a rabbit; discoveries made in the course of rescuing him help the children in their search for treasure. More often, he alerts them to danger and offers protection against threats to their safety.

Answer: King Lear

In Act 3 of "King Lear", the king refers to these three dogs by name as he is complaining about his harsh treatment at the hands of his daughters. He says that even his dogs have been barking at him, emphasizing his sense of isolation after being rejected by those whom he supposed to love him.

When asked to express their affection for his judgment, Goneril and Reagan profess love, but later treat him cruelly. Cordelia honestly makes a less effusive declaration, and is spurned as unloving. Thousands of words of intrigue later, they are all dead: Regan dies after being poisoned by Goneril, who then stabs herself; Cordelia is hanged, and Lear collapses in death on her body.

This play is considered one of Shakespeare's great tragedies.

Answer: Clifford the Big Red Dog

Clifford may have been the runt of the litter, but he certainly grows large - although his height seems to be somewhat variable, in the tradition of tall tales. It is stated at various times as being 15-25 feet, but he is also large enough to be seen carrying a lighthouse in his jaws as he swims out to guide a lost boat to safety. Emily Elizabeth is often seen riding on Clifford's back (or, when he seems larger, perched on his head) as they share their adventures.

There are more than 75 books in this series, but who's counting? Over the years, neither Clifford nor Emily has aged (once Clifford finished growing). Clifford has also appeared on television and in video games, as well as the 2004 animated film "Clifford's Really Big Movie", and soft toys decorate many a child's bedroom.

Answer: Old Yeller

Old Yeller is a stray dog (played in the movie by Spike, a Labrador retriever/mastiff cross) who is adopted by a pioneering family and becomes a valued family member. He rescues the two boys, Travis and Arliss, from a number of tricky situations, climaxing in the scene in which a rabid wolf attacks the family, and Yeller is bitten. After being made to confront the tragic reality of the situation, a grieving Travis shoots Old Yeller. There were two sequels written to this classic: "Savage Sam" follows the exploits of Yeller's puppy, and "Little Arliss" features the younger brother from the first book.

Buck starred in Jack London's "Call of the Wild", while Eddie and Murray are characters from the television shows "Frasier" and "Mad About You", respectively.

Answer: Jack Stapleton

The story opens with the death of Sir Charles Baskerville due to a heart attack, but things are not a simple as that. James Mortimer, Sir Charles's doctor, asks Sherlock Holmes and Dr Watson to investigate the death, and ensure the safety of Henry Baskerville, Sir Charles's nephew who is coming from Canada to claim his inheritance. Eventually, we discover that Jack Stapleton is actually another nephew, intent on getting his hands on the Baskerville money by eliminating other claimants.

His uncle's heart attack had been brought on by running in terror from the sight of a very large glowing hound, recalling a family curse involving a vengeful ghost hound. Needless to say, Holmes triumphs, the hound is shot before it can kill Sir Henry, and Stapleton drowns when he loses his footing on the way to his hideout in the Great Grimpen Mire.

Answer: Herd sheep

When Babe is won at a fair and taken home by Farmer Hoggett, Fly good-naturedly includes the scared young piglet in the training she is giving to her puppies. This training includes a range of farmyard expectations, including herding. What comes naturally to a border collie is a bit more challenging for a piglet, and Babe's first attempts, including a chaotic scene with the ducks, are failures. Then he gets the bright idea of asking them politely to go where he wants, and success ensues.

The book was retitled "Babe the Gallant Pig" for its American release, and served as the basis for the 1995 movie "Babe".

Answer: Cujo

Blaze, Carrie and Christine are a man, a girl and a car, respectively, in their own stories. Because Cujo's owner did not have him vaccinated, he acquires rabies when bitten by a bat while chasing rabbits. He kills his owner and a neighbor before Donna and Tad arrive to get their car repaired. They are bailed up inside the car by the maddened dog for several days. A rescue attempt leads to more death before a desperate Donna uses a baseball bat to overcome Cujo. Tad, unfortunately, dies of heat stress during the fight.

"Cujo" was published in 1982, and made into a film in 1983.

Answer: Angus and the Ducks

All of these are much-loved children's books, but Angus is the Scottie whose insatiable curiosity lands him in an 'interesting' situation when he slips out an open door and sets off to see what makes the noise he heard behind the hedge while on a walk. You can probably guess the answer from the title. The sequels, equally charming, were "Angus and the Cat" and "Angus Lost".

Answer: Toto

The first visit is familiar to most either from the book "The Wonderful Wizard of Oz" (first published in 1900) or from the 1939 movie, starring Judy Garland, based on it. He returns with Dorothy in the fifth book in the series, "The Road to Oz" (1909), and settles there permanently (along with Dorothy, Uncle Henry and Auntie Em) in "The Emerald City of Oz" (1910). In "Tik-Tok of Oz" (1914) it is revealed that he can talk when in Oz, as can other animals, but usually chooses not to do so.

Toto's breed is a matter of some uncertainty. He was originally described as "a little black dog, with long silky hair and small black eyes that twinkled merrily on either side of his funny, wee nose", a description that could fit a number of breeds. From the original illustrations, most have concluded that he was either a Cairn terrier or a Yorkshire terrier. In some books he seems to have transformed into a Boston terrier, a breed whose looks differ markedly from the original. In the movie, he was played by Terry, a female Cairn terrier.

Billina the hen was Dorothy's traveling companion in "Ozma of Oz" (1907); Eureka the cat accompanied her in "Dorothy and the Wizard in Oz" (1908); the boy Tip, central character of "The Marvellous Land of Oz" (1904) turns out to be a girl named Ozma, the rightful ruler of Oz.